Forbidden Underworld
by SakubaraKazue
Summary: "Never step on capo Levi's toes." was an unsaid rule in the famiglia. Levi was cranky, frightening, tyrannical, hateful, and all other evil, terrifying and unpleasant things that you can think of. Nobody knew why he was like that. Maybe that's just how he was? Or perhaps he had a deprived childhood? Could a certain Eren Jäger finally break down those walls to Levi's jaded heart?
1. Chapter 1

Life's a bitch.

That's what I've learnt over the past three years underground. If you thought I meant underground literally, I'd be on the verge of calling you an idiot but you were nice enough to give this a chance and read it so I'll violently restrain myself. I meant underground figuratively.

I don't even know why I'm still alive; fighting to stay alive, when I could just end it all anytime I wanted to. I've had plenty of chances, but I never took them, and I just can't figure out why.

"Oi, you brats better hurry up or I'll leave you here to rot." I called over my shoulder. The footsteps of the new brats we got yesterday quickened their pace behind me. This was their first job. I could never understand why my underboss, Erwin (that shitty bastard), always handed these damn rookies to me. My jobs were annoying enough; having to deal with these brats burns my tolerance and patience to a crisp. Most of my jobs usually get compromised because that shit ass of an underboss I have always insists I bring the rookies along with me. And yes, I always end up having to risk my skin just to save their butts because the brats were too damn weak to handle themselves.

But I always could've just left them there to die. Why I always saved them, I'll never know – just one more thing about myself that I'll never understand.

Suddenly, I heard a high-pitched squeak-yelp behind me. "It's just a goddamn rat," a voice said. "You're such a pussy." I paused, turning my head slightly to the side, and asked lazily, "What happened? You better not have screwed anything up, you shitty brats." "N-nothing." A blond-haired boy – the perpetrator, most likely – said. "I just accidentally stepped on a dead rat." He blushed furiously and turned away. "Heh," I replied, an eyebrow raised. "That high-pitched yelp was from you? Could've mistaken it for a girl's." I finished as I turned away and continued walking. The other brats sniggered as they trailed after me, bringing an even darker flush to the boy's face.

I still remember the first time I traversed these stinking underground tunnels. I was on the run at the time. I was a wanted man – a highly wanted man – and many would stop at nothing to get my head and the bounty that came with it. I was lucky to have been taught at a young age how to shoot, fight and handle myself. I was quick with my fists, and that had saved me many times now. Many families had sent their goons in the hopes of getting my head. Those idiots that had been dumb enough to stand within three feet from me had a nice, good taste of my knuckles.

Shaking the memory off, I was about to call for the brats behind me to pick up the pace when I caught movement from the corner of my eye. I froze and immediately pulled to a slight crouch, bending my knees and getting ready for any sudden assault, my fists up. I quickly signaled for the oblivious brats behind me to halt their steps. They cocked their heads to the side in confusion but before I could say anything, a throwing knife sailed my way. I ducked instantly, and the knife stabbed shallowly into the wall where my head had just been. The brats' eyes widened in shock, some of their mouths opening and closing like fish gasping for air. Damn, they sucked. How could they have not known that someone was there at all? How did brats this shitty enter our family anyway? Geez, Erwin must be getting soft.

"Didn't think you bastards were so chicken as to hide and attack. That was low, dudes, could've pierced my brain." I paused. "Oh, so you're afraid of me?" I taunted. "Didn't know the Denaros had no balls." I looked away lazily. I heard a few low, angry growls around me as a few men appeared from corners where the shoddy lighting of the tunnel couldn't reach. They began brandishing their knives as they approached me slowly, like wolves creeping onto a poor little lamb. Well, at least they _thought_ I was a poor little lamb.

"Gather round me," I whispered to the rookies. "And get ready to engage these bastards." They swallowed, nervous, but did as I said, taking their knives in their hands and settling into a stance. "Oh, so looking for a fight, aren't we?" I called out. I grinned, whipping out my switchblade. "Looks like you _do_ have balls, huh."

One of the men yelled in fury and pounced on me. He was huge but his aim was sloppy and so were his fighting skills. I stabbed him in the neck easily and he fell to the ground on his knees, blood spurting out of his neck, staining my shirt and pants an angry red. "Tch. Filthy." I remarked as I examined the dark stain. I had gotten used to being covered in blood for a long time now, I wouldn't freak out or scream or whatever shit stupid rookies did when blood got on their clothes, but getting used to something and being okay with it were two different things. The stench and patches that blood left behind were just dreadful. I hated it. No, 'hate' was an understatement.

The brats – the idiots they were – stared in shock. You'd think they'd never seen a man get killed. Maybe they haven't. But hey, they were in the mafia for fuck's sake. What were they thinking when they joined? That everything would be clean and easy? That everything would just be rainbows and ponies? Goddamn it, what a bunch of wimps. "What are you shitty brats looking at? They're coming at us and you'll need to kill those shits to get the job done so get your act together and just fucking _grow up_."

That seemed to get to their heads and they snapped out of it, looking less shocked and more alert. Some of the lower-ranked underlings launched themselves at them and keeping one eye on the rookies and the other trained on the attackers coming my way, I kept a lookout for them while I finished off my assailants. They lay in a heap on the ground_, just like a pile of garbage_, I thought.

One of the brats struggled against his opponent and seemed to be on the losing end of the fight. I darted forward and kicked his opponent hard in the stomach, sending him flying and banging into the opposite wall, knocking him out cold. "Hey!" The rookie behind me shouted. "I didn't need your help! I could've finished him off on my own!" The rookie who I had just helped, _just helped_, I repeat, yelled at me. I spun around and glared at the offending brat. "You could at least be a tad bit grateful to me for saving your pathetic ass, you shitty brat. If it weren't for me, you'd be the one in that bastard's place right now. So shut the hell up and thank me." I remarked with a hint of irritation in my voice. This kid really had a stick shoved up his ass. What a little bitch.

Just then, a gruff voice rose from behind me, "You've let your guard down Levi!" I spun around instantaneously, and just as a huge fist came down toward me, I moved out of the way and rammed my fist up to his jaw in an uppercut. Without giving him any time to react, I shoved my switchblade into his neck and pulled it out swiftly, letting the man fall to the ground. My clothes became covered in some more stinking blood. I looked at the man in disgust. "I've let my guard down? I don't think so."

As I turned to look at the rookies, I found them staring at me in shock, amazement, fear, and one of them, in hatred. Needless to say, it was that fucking brat who couldn't be grateful someone had saved his pathetic life.

"Okay, Denaro family goons eliminated, job accomplished. I'm surprised none of you died. You all were pretty pathetic, to be honest. But who cares? I sure don't. If you're alive, so be it. Erwin's the one who's going to have to feed your sorry mouth anyway." I said as I tucked my switchblade back under my belt.

Some of the rookies flinched as though I'd just given them the worst insult to ever exist on Earth. They were either disgustingly innocent, or had annoyingly huge egos. Not that I had any right to say that about them, considering the size of my own ego.

"Come on, you shitty brats. Time to go back. We're done here." I linked my fingers and stretched them behind my head, walking back in the opposite direction.

"Stop calling us that!" An infuriated shout came from behind me. "We aren't shitty brats you fucking bastard!"

I halted my step. "What did you call me?" I said coldly as I turned around to face that impertinent brat, my face settling into a cool, closed mask. "Huh?" I grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him into the air. His bright, angry aquamarine eyes glared at me. His hands clambered at my wrists as he futilely tried to get me to release my grip. Before he knew it, I swung my fist and landed a hard, solid punch on his face. His eyes widened as he gasped in shock.

"Call me that one more time," I threatened in a low voice by his ear, "and you'll never see the light of day again." I released my hold on the boy and he sank to the ground, his eyes still wide in shock and fear. The other brats around me backed away, frightened by my display, except for one of the girls who bore Asian features. She snarled at me in fury. "How dare you–" she began. But the brat I just did a number on held her back, and the girl seemed to back down. "Tch." I ignored them as I continued on my way. When I heard no sounds of footsteps following behind me, I looked over my shoulder only to find none of the brats moving, all rooted to the spot. This was pretty annoying, really, and I was starting to get tired of their shit.

"Oi, if you brats don't follow me and get lost in the tunnels, I'm not going to be held responsible for you. If you go missing, that's your own problem. Do remember that your life means less than shit to me." I said to them lazily. I looked down at my clothes and my eyes narrowed. I clucked my tongue in distaste. "Filthy." I had to get some laundry done once I got back, and some serious chewing out to do. Erwin would never hear the end of it. This was the last time I was going to bring idiot rookie brats along with me.

But then again that was what I always said at the end of a job.

~ψ~

"Welcome back, _capo_." A soldier greeted with a slight bow as he opened the gates to the headquarters. I nodded in acknowledgement and strolled in lazily, manner at ease.

"You brats can leave now. Get your shitty asses out of my face." I called out to the rookies behind me.

"Yes, _capo_." The rookies behind me acknowledged. I heard a growl behind me yet again.

"Hey! I thought I told you to stop calling us that! We're not brats, you fucking bastard!" I sighed in frustration, eyes twitching, _not that little shit again…_

I took a deep breath in an attempt to compose myself. "And _I_ thought I told you," I said in a cold voice, "that if you ever called me that one more fucking time," I turned my head sideways and pinned him with a death glare over my shoulder. "you would never see the light of day again."

Before anyone even noticed any movement, I had my feet shoved into the brat's face and had him pushed to the ground. I executed another harsh kick to the kid's stomach, making him gasp and sputter in shock and pain. I grabbed him by the collar with a hand and punched him with the other. Saliva flew out of his mouth as I continued raining my fists mercilessly on the brat's face while occasionally issuing a few blows to his abdomen. When I was done with him, the kid was a mess, face and body covered with blood and bruises.

"Eren!" I heard a strangled cry. The same Asian girl from just now rushed forward to the brat and held him gingerly. She glared up at me, shooting daggers at me with her eyes. "It's you again! I don't care who you are! You have no right to–"

"Mikasa, don't bother." The brat – Eren – interrupted the girl's ranting. "Just leave it. I can handle myself. You don't have to baby me all the time." Eren said weakly as he pushed himself up on his elbows. He coughed, and blood splattered onto the ground. The other rookies flinched at the sight. I had unconsciously made an example out of the brat at the same time. Huh, hitting two birds with one stone. Turns out this beating was more useful than I thought.

Satisfied with my handiwork, I turned toward the building that was our headquarters and continued on my way as though nothing had happened, because honestly, to me, nothing really did happen. That was called teaching your soldiers a lesson on respect, and if anyone wanted to argue with me, they could talk to my fists. Learning to show respect for someone of higher ranking was something I learnt the hard way. I frowned at the specks of blood I found on my hands. "Tch. Filthy."

~ψ~

"Come in."

"Erwin." I said in salutation.

"Yo." He greeted casually. "That was done pretty quickly. As expected of you Levi."

"Of course. I'm the best there is."

Erwin chuckled. "Well, good to see your planet-sized ego is still largely intact. I assume there were no hitches with the job?"

"Obviously not. It's me we're talking about here." I huffed. "Anyway, why the hell do I get sent on these dirty jobs anyway? I'm a _capo_ for Christ's sake, not some no-name soldier."

"Because I feel like it. It's pretty amusing to see you flare up when I tell you about your new errand. Plus, it's even better when I tell you that you have to bring rookies along. The look on your face is golden."

"What the hell?" My eyes twitched. "Are fucking kidding me? This is your pathetic excuse for a reason? No, scratch that. It doesn't even count as an excuse."

He smiled innocently. "What can I say? I can't help myself."

A minute passed by in silence.

"You sadistic fuck."

~ψ~

"Anyway more importantly, Levi," Erwin said as he shuffled through his thick stack of documents. "What do you think?"

After our initial bickering, we had settled down for a cup of coffee and begun talking to each other in a more… civil and professional manner, like the higher-ups we were supposed to be.

"About what?" I asked, my eyes still focused on the statistical charts I was going through.

Erwin put down his cup of coffee. "The rookies. What do you think about them?"

"Same old, same old. All brats are the same." I replied nonchalantly. "Why are you asking me this anyway?"

"I just found this group of rookies to be a bit, well, different from the previous ones. I looked through their files. They were rather… interesting, I must say." Erwin rested his chin on his linked fingers, his face pensive. "Especially that Eren kid."

Sipping my coffee, I looked up at Erwin at the mention of the offending name. "Eren, you say?"

"Yes." Erwin nodded. "Anything I should know about that kid?" Erwin raised an eyebrow.

I averted my eyes. "Well… you could say that we had… um… got off on the wrong foot." Damn, it wasn't like me to speak with thought interjections within my sentences. It was kind of unnerving.

"Oh?" Erwin threw me a knowing glance. "I see. Well, do something about it then, because you'll be working with this kid for a long time. It would do both of you no good to be at odds."

I choked on my coffee. "What. Did. You. Just. Say." My mind went on a mental lockdown. I was going to have to work with this brat? Like, _really_ work with the brat? And not yell orders at him? Or sucker punch him? Or beat the shit out of him when he pisses me off?

"This kid has raised my interest." Erwin said, frustratingly calm. "And I think the two of you would make a good team. Your talents complement each other's perfectly. You two will be working together from now on, and nothing you say will change my mind. Period."

A short moment passed before I finally acknowledged. "Yes, sir. If that's what you say, _underboss_." I ground out through clenched teeth, my fists balled up tightly in rage. _I'm seriously going to kill this guy one day._ It's a wonder I haven't killed him already.

"Very good." Erwin smiled brightly at me.

"What the hell?" I sputtered, taking a step back as my right eye twitched. That smile was too radiant for my eyes to handle. It was disturbingly radiant. No matter how many times Erwin did this 'innocent smile' shit, I could never get used to it. Those see-I'm-so-innocent-and-wonderful-I-can't-possibly-be-planning-something-diabolical smiles always came out of nowhere at the most untimely moments. It was creepy.

"Whatever it is, just try to be at least civil with him." Erwin said before dismissing me.

~ψ~

I couldn't be civil with him.

It was four in the morning and I was already awake. And why was I already up? Yes, that's right. Very good, the brat's why. Loud, angry shouts from the hallway could be heard. Two voices could be heard, and one of them was all too familiar. My eyes twitched in annoyance. _It's that bastard again. Why is it always him?_ My eyes seemed to be doing that a lot ever since that shitty brat came along. If I got crow's feet early, I'm pretty sure you know who's fault that'd be.

My fists clenched involuntarily in agitation as I got out of bed and trudged to the hallway. I wasn't a morning person, and anyone who disrupted my sleep would have to face my wrath. Furthermore, I was in a particularly foul mood today. "I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson he'll never forget." I muttered under my breath.

A small crowd of soldiers and rookies had formed a vague semicircle-like shape around an opened room. I stalked towards the room, hearing grunts and thuds as I neared. As I got closer, I got a good view of the culprits guilty of disrupting my precious sleep – Eren, and another brat with pale brown hair whom I recognised to be one of the rookies who had come with me on the job the previous day. I folded my arms and watched in mild interest. I got a good view of the particularly intense fistfight between them, and caught bits of what they were almost incoherently yelling at each other. "You little–" "…quit ogling at my sister!" "…keep interfering!" "…horse-face…keep your perverted eyes off her!"

"Oi."

The brats closest to me turned at the sound of my voice. Once they saw just who, exactly, was standing there with a look that said "I'm already fucking pissed so don't fucking provoke me any more or I swear I will kill you", they cringed in fear and started alerting the rest. They whispered furiously to each other. "Hey… hey… _capo_ Levi is here!"

"What?! Really? Oh shit."

Huh, it seemed my reputation transcended me. The brats were already terrified at the mention of my name. I wonder how that happened.

"Let's get away now before we get caught in the crossfire! Shit's about to get real. Go, go, go!"

Just as they began making a move, I raised my voice and said, "Where do you think you're going?"

The rookies froze. Dread was evident on their faces as some of them fumbled for words to try to explain the situation to me.

"Oh, no need to say anything." I interjected smoothly. "All of you brats just stay right where you are, and watch."

I shoved the rookies aside as I made my way into the room. Eren and the other brat were so focused on each other they didn't even notice me standing right next to them. Before they knew it, I grabbed them both by the head and slammed their heads together. The brats yelped in shock and pain and grunted as they landed on the ground butt first.

"Ah, shit. Damn it that hurt. What the hell was that for, you horse ass!" Eren shouted in fury.

"I could say the same to you, asshat!" The other brat shouted back.

"Oi. Do you brats seriously not see me here at all? When I'm fucking standing right in front of you?" I said. The brats seemed to have not heard me and continued throwing punches at each other, yelling at the same time. Now I was seriously pissed. I grabbed one of the flying fists at the wrist and flipped its owner on his back. Kicking the other brat in the stomach, I pushed him to the ground at the same time and pressed my foot down harder for good measure.

"Now." I said, my voice low. "Do you see me now?" Eren and the other kid gulped. "Do I have to stick myself right in your shitty faces for you to notice that _I am right here?_"

"N-n-n-n-no, sir." Eren replied, eyes wide.

"_Capo_ Levi! Ah… uh… I can explain…" The other kid stammered.

"You, what's your name?" I asked.

"J-Jean. Jean Kirstein."

"Jean and Eren. You two are on toilet cleaning duty for the rest of the month." I said monotonously.

The two brats faces immediately turned incredulous. "What?! But-"

"I'm not finished." I cut in impatiently. "You two are on toilet cleaning duty for the rest of the month, _and_, I will have you two paired up for assignments and errands for two months." I finished. "Sounds fair?" I raised an eyebrow, challenging them to protest.

"Yes, sir." They replied simultaneously, resigned with their eyes cast down and a look of defeat.

"Great. Now I can finally get back to sleep. Go back to bed you shitty little assholes. And I'm referring to all of you here. Just fucking go back to bed already."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Hi everyone! It's me again! Sorry for the long wait. So chapter 2 finally here! School has been real busy so I had to do the writing with what little pockets of time I could steal, so I hope my story still sounds ok and doesn't seem detached. I'm sorry about having so many gags in this story I should be more serious but I couldn't help it •^• 'Tis what I get for writing at three in the morning. Haish. So... you guys will finally get to read from Eren's point of view in this instalment! I didn't really get to edit this chapter because I was rushing it out since I'll be flying off to Japan real soon and I really wanted to post the chapter before I went overseas. Do let me know if you've found any spelling or grammatical errors and don't hesitate to leave me a review! Hope this chapter was to your liking and happy reading!

It seems life likes to sock me in the stomach. All. The. Fucking. Time.

After the whole "fight-at-four-in-the-morning" debacle, I was finally able to get back to sleep. But I would have been better off if I hadn't.

As soon as I drifted off to sleep, I had that dream again.

Blood splattered across the dingy walls, knives and blades flashed, and one by one, my most trusted comrades fell.

I shot up in bed as I jolted awake. I was covered in sweat, and my hair was plastered across my forehead. Eyes wide, bloodshot, I panted heavily. I found that I had bunched the sheets up in my fists, and my muscles were tensed. Even though I was already awake, those images still flashed in my mind. I wanted to forget, and I thought I finally had, but it seems I was wrong. Just another misassumption I had made in my godforsaken life.

I rubbed my eyes, my face, and then went to my desk. I grabbed out files and files of documents, determined to bury myself in work to wipe those images out of my mind. But they kept coming back. I couldn't get them out of my mind. I couldn't forget what had happened. I couldn't forget _them_. My fists were clenched in tight balls, and unbeknownst to me, I had snapped the pencil I was using to make notations in two.

Sighing deeply, I pushed myself away from my desk and went back to sitting on my bed. _Damn it_. I couldn't focus on anything. I held my head in my heads, squeezing my eyes shut. Just then, my door swung open with a loud slam, and in strode the notorious Hanji Zoë.

"Yo, Levi! What's up?" She called out cordially.

I ignored her, and that was when she noticed that I wasn't exactly in the state to be jovial with her, not that I ever was anyway.

"Hey," she walked towards me, "what's wrong?"

"Go away." I turned my head to the side.

"Come on. I'm finally back and you won't even look at me," Hanji chastised. "Talk to me Levi."

"Leave me alone, Hanji. I'm not in the mood to entertain you. Go look for Erwin or something." I waved her away with a hand, rubbing my temples with the other.

"I just did. That's why I'm here now." Hanji was exasperated. "Well, since you've been so _friendly_ with me, let's go to see Erwin together! The more the merrier, right?" Mischief glinted in her eyes. "FYI, I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. Now move it!"

Hanji proceeded to stalk towards me, and just as she lifted her right leg in an attempt – the operative word here being 'attempt' – to kick me off the bed (the idiot that she was), I knocked her off her feet with a swift upward swing of my left arm.

"In case you didn't know," I drew out. "I can get out of bed myself."

I held her up by the collar, announcing, "Okay, time for you to get your ass out of my room," and promptly threw her out my door. I dusted my hands, wiping the grime her filthy clothes left behind.

"Hey!" Hanji called out. "You're still coming with me to see Erwin! I'll drag you there kicking and screaming if that's what it takes!"

"Let's see you try, fucktard." I retorted, and with that, I slammed the door in her face.

_That's my Levi,_ Hanji thought with a hint of a smile on her face.

~ψ~

Ugh. Sometimes, I really felt like smashing Hanji's face in. She was such a hassle, and I didn't even know how we got to be on friendly terms. Okay, maybe "friendly" was stretching it a bit, but you get what I mean.

Sighing heavily, I got myself ready for the day – face washed clean, hair combed and set just right, shirt crisp, shoes polished to shine.

Swinging my door open, I strode into the hallway, only to be crashed into by a brat with a mop of blonde hair.

I fixed the kid with a death glare. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god it's _capo_ Levi!" The brat shrilled hysterically.

"Yeah, I know I'm Levi. I asked: who the fuck are_ you_?"

The brat literally withered under my stare. "I-I-I'm A-Armin… _c-capo_. Armin… Arlert." He swallowed.

"Well, _Armin_, it's so damn _nice_ to see that you wish to greet me 'good morning', but I think there's a better way of doing that as compared to fucking_ crashing into me_, yes?"

Armin visibly cringed. He begged, "I-I can make it up to you, _capo_. I'll do anything!"

"Of course you would. I'd have made you do so even if you hadn't pleaded for it." I retorted. "Hey, you know what, I just got a god damn brilliant idea. I think I remember you now. You were the rookie who was with me on my last mission, right? The one who screamed. Like a girl." I added. Hey, what can I say? I couldn't help myself.

Armin blushed furiously, his face a deep beet red. "Um… y-yeah. That was me."

"Well then, you can take care of cleaning up the abandoned store room on the third floor of the West wing. Easy enough, right?"

"_Abandoned _store room?! B-but _capo_…!" He protested.

"What? You have any problems with that? Huh?" I challenged, my eyes hard and sharp as flint.

"A-a-a-ah n-no, _capo_. No problem at all…" He drifted off, averting his troubled eyes.

"Good. I expect you to be done by sunset. Now get your ass out of my face."

He didn't have to be told twice. He took off as though the Devil was hot on his heels. I wonder what his issue was.

Letting out a breath of air, I folded my hands behind my head and bode my time strolling to Erwin's office. Rapping on his door with my knuckles, I entered before he responded.

"Entering without my permission again, eh?" Erwin sighed. "You give me no privacy at all, do you?"

"Why would I care? You're always mucking around anyway." I sniffed.

"Sometimes I can't tell who the boss is here." Erwin shook his head. He looked up at Hanji who was sitting on the edge of his desk, munching on some weird, unidentifiable, possibly cookie-like thing. "What do I do with him?"

"Nothing." Hanji answered between mouthfuls of that questionable thing. "Or die trying."

"I have such wilful _capos_."

"Glad that you know that." I retorted.

Erwin deflated in his seat. "You're so mean, Levi. So mean…"

~ψ~

"So, so, Erwin!" Hanji said excitedly. "Tell Levi about that!"

"That?"

"You know, his next mission!" Hanji giggled.

I put my defences up instantaneously. Nothing good ever happened when Hanji giggled about something.

"Ah, yes." Erwin nodded. "Okay Levi, before I tell you anything, I'll need to do something first. It will be uncomfortable, but please bear with it." He said in a solemn tone.

Uncomfortable? What the fuck was this guy trying to do?

My eye twitched. Yep, shit was about to hit the fan.

~ψ~

Fifteen minutes later, I was bound to a chair with a piece of duct tape slapped across my mouth.

Yep, shit hit the fan.

"Okay, there we go." Erwin stepped back.

The bastard looked so damn pleased with himself. I'd had punched that disgustingly happy face if I had known what he was up to.

"Now this is a rare sight. This definitely calls for a memento." Hanji grinned.

Oh, shit. She wouldn't…

Hanji whipped out her smartphone.

Oh, yes she would.

My voice came out as low growls from the base of my throat. I glared at her and struggled against the thick rope binding me to the chair. Fuck this. Erwin was too damn good with rope works.

Come hell or high water, I will kill these two one day.

"Say 'cheese'!" Hanji was enjoying herself.

Bright light flashed across my eyes. I winced.

"Heheh. Got it." Hanji grinned like a Cheshire cat, annoyingly delighted with her new treasure. "I've finally gotten my hands on Levi blackmail material."

I shot daggers at her with my eyes, but she simply ignored me, all too familiar with how to handle me. Screw you, Hanji.

Erwin and Hanji huddled together muttering and whispering, and from the looks on their faces, they were up to no good. "Okay, shared!" Hanji cried out. Erwin's eyes were _sparkling_. Fucking _sparkling._ That guy was planning on doing some real shit. I can bet my Windex on it.

What the fuck. Did Hanji just freaking send that goddamned picture to Erwin? A cold mask settled over my face. Knowing Hanji (and Erwin), yes, she did.

To hell with these assholes.

~ψ~

"Anyways," Erwin cleared his throat. "There is a valid reason for my tying you up, other than getting something to blackmail you with."

_I heard that, Erwin._ My eyes twitched.

"You won't like what I'm about to tell you, but I have assigned you your next mission – your first mission with Eren."

_I knew it._

"And… your mission is to retrieve the Soul of the Sky Diamond which is currently in the hands of the Porta Nuova family."

_What?_ My eyes widened.

I pushed against the ropes violently with as much upper body strength as I could muster but to no avail, and my muffled shouts and growls became louder and louder.

"See, I knew this would happen." Erwin sighed.

Hanji folded her arms. "Look, let Erwin finish, and then you can argue – not that you actually can right now – but listen to him."

"I want you to take Eren with you on, for lack of better word, a heist, because a) you have the skills and b) this would be very valuable experience for the kid. It's simple. Get in undetected, grab the diamond, and then leave without a trace. This is nothing new, Levi."

Huh. He made it sound so damn easy. If only it was.

Hanji stripped the duct tape off my lips ruthlessly. "Now you may speak."

"THIS IS FUCKING PREPOSTOROUS!" I roared. "Not only are making me lower my level to that of a prissy _jewel thief_, but you also want me to take from the Porta Nuova family? Are you fucking out of your goddamn mind? They're not just some amateur family that we can just steal from. When you step on them, they bite back. Hard. Eren's just a useless kid with no skills and abilities to speak of, and you expect him to go through the Porta Nuova family? _Undetected?_ Why are so damn hung up on that brat? What's so special about him that you have to _insist_ on pairing him up with me? Do you really like screwing with us so much?" My face was red from the shouting, and rage practically emanated and oozed out from my pores.

"This is why I insisted on the duct tape." Hanji gave Erwin a look.

"You keep going 'Eren this', 'Eren that'. What the fuck is so damn special about him?" I fumed. "You wanting me to be a jewel thief is bad enough. I don't need a useless brat to hinder me in the Porta Nuova stronghold!"

"I am not 'screwing with you', as you had put so elegantly." Erwin said calmly. Why was he always so calm? That shitty bastard.

"As you know, I keep bios and statistics of every member in our family, and for good reason. You cannot imagine how amazed I was when I saw that your stats and Eren's fit perfectly. You know I've been trying for years to get you a partner for you to work with on tougher missions; all the other _capos _already have theirs. You're the only who has been constantly going solo for every one of your missions. Though I acknowledge that you are, indeed, the best among all the _capos_, even you have your weaknesses – the bios and stats I keep can vouch for that – and there are still times when you need help – don't interrupt Levi." I glared at him. "Therefore," Erwin drew out, "you will work with Eren _whether you like it. Or not_." The last part he said with the full authority of an underboss, and that was when I really felt the strength of his presence. He wasn't an underboss simply in name. His comportment came in at full force, and I couldn't help but widen my eyes a fraction. Erwin certainly wasn't a man you wanted to mess with.

"Tch." I averted my eyes. "Untie me," I said to Hanji. Hanji wavered, looking to Erwin for direction.

"Untie. Me." I bit out.

"Do it." Erwin sighed.

The ropes fell with a resounding thud on the marble tiles. I lifted myself up from the chair and strode out the door immediately, not even sparing a glance at Erwin or Hanji as I slammed the door in their faces.

"Damn, he is _pissed_." Hanji whistled.

"It's not the first time. He'll get over it," Erwin said, keeping his eyes on his reports. "And I'm sure he got the message. He and Eren will be just fine."

"Just fine, you say…"

~ψ~

[EREN]

Armin dashed past me with a mop and a bucket, soapy water sloshing about and spilling out, as I strolled down the corridor. "Hey, Armin!" I called out. "What's up?"

Armin turned back, a weak smile materialising on his face. "Oh, Eren! Good morning! I'm, er, running some errands for – uh, never mind that." Armin seemed to be reconsidering what he was saying. "I've already had breakfast so go on ahead without me!"

"Uh… oh… ok."

Yawning, I made my way to the cafeteria where us rookies ate. I heard that unlike us, the higher-ups get "room service", that is their meals are sent straight to their rooms or office, whichever is their preference, _because higher-ups get special treatment_, while we rookies rot here in the cafeteria and are treated like sloppy kids.

Needless to say, I fought against this rule, and _obviously_, as Mikasa had put it, I lost the argument. So here I am.

"Mornin', everyone!" I called out.

"Yo, Eren!" Connie and Sasha waved at me instantaneously.

"Good morning, Eren." Marco greeted politely.

"Eren, you took your time. Good morning," Mikasa said, monotonous as ever.

"Ugh, I wake up to the beginning of a great day, and the first thing in the morning that I have to see is your goddamned face," Jean huffed.

The veins in my neck popped. "Jean… you shit ass horse crap… get the fuck away from this table if that's how you're gonna be!" I yelled, clenching my fists. "I didn't even do or say any shit to you and this is how you respond! You obnoxious prick!"

"What did you say…?!" Jean shot up from his seat. "You wanna go at it? Huh?!"

I rolled up my sleeves. "Gladly!"

"Stop it, you two." Mikasa shoved a hand in our faces, effectively muffling the cuss words that I was about to hurl at Jean, and vice versa. "Sit down, both of you."

We sat down, albeit in dissatisfaction, but the tension between us dissolved and we started digging into the food.

"Eren, please learn to restrain yourself." Mikasa chided. "You shouldn't be lowering yourself to his level. Be more mature."

"Yeah, yeah." I waved her away. "I'm the childish one."

Jean choked on his food. "'Lowering yourself to his level'… you're so cold, Mikasa…" Jean looked crestfallen.

A minute of silence was observed as we ate in peace, the clinking of forks, knives and spoons against plates the only thing that could be heard.

"Woah…" The others seated at the table breathed in amazement as they applauded.

"Um… what's going on?" I asked, puzzled.

"We were right: the only person on this planet that could stop a fight between Jean and Eren is Mikasa." Connie said.

"Other than _capo_ Levi." Sasha added.

"That was _so_ unnecessary." Ymir hissed.

"Oh my God, please don't bring that up." I buried my face in my palm.

"Sasha, you idiot!" Jean snarled.

"Please do not bring that issue up again. It'll cause in convenience." Mikasa said.

"But it's true. And now they're on toilet duty." Connie could barely hold in his laughter.

"AHAHAHAHA! TOILET DUTY, OH, THAT'S THE BEST JOKE EVER!" Sasha burst into fits of laughter.

"Shut up, Sasha!" Jean yelled.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered. "We'll never hear the end of this."

"Whose fault do you think that is?!" Jean shouted at me.

"Of course I know whose fault it is. YOURS, you bloody turd!" I hollered.

"Turd?!" Jean looked flabbergasted. "Take that back, you chickpea!"

"Who's a chickpea?!" I practically screamed. "You asshole, c'mere! I'm gonna punch that good-for-nothing face in, like I should have the moment I met you!"

"Jean! Eren! Sit down, now!" Mikasa ordered.

Jean and I immediately froze. We glared at each other until we somehow called it truce and moved to sit back down.

The rest at the table let out low murmurs of wonder, clapping as they stared at Mikasa in awe.

Connie let out a low whistle. "As expected of Mikasa."

"I swear she's our savior." Ymir muttered.

Just then, I caught sight of Armin rushing past the cafeteria. "Hey, Armin!" I called out. "You done with whatever it was you were doing? Come join us!"

"Oh, Eren!" Armin backtracked. "Ah! Mikasa! You're here too! It seems everyone's here for breakfast."

"Hey there, Armin!" The rest at the table waved at him. "What'cha up to?" Sasha asked, munching on a baked potato with her bare hands.

"Ah, um, just running some errands. Haha… ahahaha…" Armin trailed off as he laughed awkwardly.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. I smelled something fishy going on here.

"N-nothing!" Armin was breaking out into cold sweat. Yep, something was definitely going on. Sorry, Armin, but you're a terrible liar.

Mikasa seemed to be noticing it as well. Well, of course she did. She _is_ Mikasa after all. "Armin, there's no use hiding it. We can all see it clear as day. Something's up with you."

"Really? I don't see anything wrong with him." Sasha said between mouthfuls of potato.

"Me neither." Connie piped up.

"_Oh my God_, you guys are so dumb it's just unbelievable." Ymir smacked her forehead.

"Hey, come on Ymir. There's no need to be so harsh on them." Jean defended.

"That's because you're just as dumb as they are." Mikasa cut in in a monotonous tone. "I forgot. Let me correct my statement. 'We can all see it clear as day, _except for Jean, Connie and Sasha, the Three Stooges of our group_.'"

Jean arm trembled as he reached out to her. "M-Mikasa… why are you so mean to me…"

"So cold, Mikasa." Connie shook his head.

"So blunt! Mikasa, you're so mean!" Sasha pouted.

"But it's the truth." Mikasa stated matter-of-factly.

It seemed that Mikasa's social skills were non-existent as always.

"So, Armin. Spill it. What's this 'errand'? And who is it for?" I pinned Armin with my gaze.

"Uh… uh… I-I won't say it!" Armin shook his head violently and pressed his lips tightly together.

Mikasa glared at him.

"FINE I'LL SAY IT PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" Armin raised his hands in surrender.

I raised an eyebrow at Mikasa but she simply sipped at her coffee.

"It was _capo _Levi." Armin admitted. "I, er, crashed into him this morning when I was rushing out of my room and he got infuriated so he got me to clean up the abandoned store room in the West wing as punishment." Armin exhaled.

"What? Isn't that overkill? You just knocked into him, it's no biggie." Connie said with a frown on his face.

"_Capo_ Levi, you said?" My face hardened into stone.

"Th-this is why I didn't want to tell you…" Armin averted his gaze.

"That bastard," I bit out, "has been picking on us one time too many." I clenched my fists. "Oh, I'm definitely teaching him a lesson."

"Eren, wait." Mikasa stood up.

"Eren! Don't go!" Armin raised his voice.

I dismissed their words as I strode out of the cafeteria.

"Don't stop me. Don't even try."

My voice was a cold sheet of steel, hard and unforgiving.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Okay, so I went on a really long hiatus and took super long to get this up. I sincerely apologise for the wait. I was battling with what we call End-of-Year assessments, and since my beta reader was up against the same monster, the beta-ing and editing took a long time as well. Big hug to my wonderful beta reader.

So I'm really sorry for the long wait and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. I'll be updating more frequently now so be ready for more! ;)

One more thing - (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ THIS) - I realised that I made a mistake when putting up the tags for this story. Because I put the relationship tag of Levi/Eren, many readers came in expecting a whole bunch of smut and romantic scenes, but that was not what they got and they probably felt really cheated and disappointed and for that, I deeply apologise because the onus was on me to make sure that the readers knew what they were going to get from this fic. Therefore I will find a way to clear things up and I hope readers will be able to read what they were looking for. (But don't worry I promise that THERE WILL BE ACTION in the next chapter or so, depending on what my brain decides to do.)

Thanks for bearing with me haha xD Enjoy! (Levi is so OOC here by the way ;-;)

* * *

[EREN]

My cheek rested on the cold, hard ground. Blood trickled out of my nose.

Damn it.

[LEVI]

I looked myself up and down. There was blood on my shirt – not my blood.

"Tch. Filthy."

[EREN]

The cell was putrid. It reeked. God knows what I was lying on right now.

_Damn it. _I slammed my fist on the ground.

[LEVI]

The kid sucked at fighting as I had thought. But I saw something in his eyes – the gleam of a killer.

He was really out for my blood, and I had to admire that in spite of myself.

But I saw something else as well. Something that piqued my interest; something that I liked – determination.

Maybe Erwin wasn't that whacked out after all.

[EREN]

I knew that he would best me, but I had let my rage take over, just like always.

My eyelids fluttered shut as my mind slowly turned into a haze. Growing dizzy, I gave in as I slipped soundlessly into a deep slumber.

_I slammed _capo _Levi's door open as I charged in, roaring, "You asshole! I'm gonna kill you!" _

_"__Oh? So you've taken to calling me that now. Have you forgotten what had happened the last time you called me such vulgar things?" _Capo_ Levi's cheek rested on his palm as he sat at his desk lazily. It was obvious he wasn't taking me seriously, but I was certain he was pissed. Well, when was he ever _not_ pissed about something? _

_I reached out for his collar and swung my arm back for a punch, only for my hand to be stopped and my punch blocked. With his hand clasped firmly on my arm and my fist caught in the other, _capo _Levi yanked me forward, letting go of my fist to slam his knuckles into my nose. Raising his right leg, he kicked me square in the chest, sending me flying to the back of the room. Pain bloomed in my chest as I felt fire sear up my back. I coughed out spittle as I tried to pull myself together. I winced in pain, but I was not about to make _capo_ Levi think that I was weak. _

_His shoes clicked against the marble flooring as he made his way towards me agonisingly slowly, as though he was enjoying every single second of this. _

_"__You-" I struggled to stand, swaying on my feet. _

_His lips twisted into a sadistic grin, and there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes. Damn that bastard, he was _definitely_ enjoying this. _

_A sudden rush of adrenaline pumped in my veins. With a roar, I lashed out at him, a wild swing narrowly missing his cheek. _

_"__Oh?" _Capo_ Levi looked amused. "Looks like you still have some fight left in you." He taunted._

_"__Come."_

_A growl emanated from the base of my throat. The muscles in my legs tensed, poised for an attack. I leapt at him with my fist at the ready, but _Capo_ Levi was all too prepared. _

_"__So predictable."_

[LEVI]

Leaning back into my seat, I sighed. "Eren Jäger, eh."

The comfortable silence was suddenly – and all too quickly – broken by the slam of my door.

"Yo, Levi!" Hanji called out gleefully.

"Get out." I hurled my dumbbell at her.

Nimbly sidestepping at the doorway, she chastised me – and playfully at that, "Now, now, Levi. Don't just go throwing your things at people. That's bad! Be a good boy and let me in peacefully."

"Zip it."

"Oh, come on," she cajoled.

I sniffed and looked away.

"So. I heard you've been getting real friendly with our dear Eren. Breaking the ice? Bridging the gap? How did it turn out?" She smirked. A gleam of amusement shone in her eyes.

I felt like punching that self-satisfied look off her face.

"Don't punch me, Levi. In spite of appearances, I'll have you know I'm a delicate lady."

"Shut your trap."

"I'm still waiting for an answer, Levi."

"Get off my back."

"Not happening," she sang.

I scowled. "He's not as bad as I thought," I bit out. "But he's still terrible."

"See! I knew it'd work out. You two are gonna be the best of buddies, I say!" Hanji giggled.

"Oh for Pete's sake, just shut up, Hanji." I groaned.

"So you think he can make it?" Hanji asked, suddenly serious. "The heist, breaking in, all of that."

"It'll probably work out somehow," I rubbed the back of my neck. "But we all know what happens during these kind of errands."

"You're afraid he isn't ready to kill." A look of realisation passed over Hanji's features.

I looked away. "Maybe our tag team would work out in the end, but I still think Erwin's sending him out too early on such a mission."

"Mm, that's true. Rookies usually do menial jobs and easy assignments for a year before they're sent out, right?" Hanji agreed.

"I can't say I'm very confident of his skills and mental strength," I muttered.

"Then you'll just have to train him," Hanji stated.

"What?" My head flicked up. How had she even heard what I had said?

"Train him. You're an excellent fighter, plus you're his partner. If anything, you're the best choice right now."

"You know I can't train people, Hanji. Remember the last time I tried to train a rookie?"

"You broke his left arm, right leg, sprained his wrist, gave him a black eye and twisted his back. Yes, I remember. But still. You exchanged blows with that kid. Don't you think he's pretty darn good for having survived that?"

"I was going easy on him."

"LE-VI. For how long more are you going to protest? Just try it, okay? Ugh, trying to persuade you is like trying to persuade a rock." Hanji shivered. "The operative word being 'trying'." She added.

"…I'll think about it." I kept my eyes down. "I don't really feel like looking at him right now though."

"Well, you better start wanting to because your mission's in two weeks. That's almost zero time for training."

"Yeah, yeah. Since when did you become such a mother hen?"

"AWW Levi acknowledges me as his mother now! I'm so happy!" Hanji cried.

"Disgusting. Get away from me."

~ψ~

Two harsh knocks rapped on my door.

"You may enter." I said.

"_Capo_ Levi, do you know where Eren is?"

Two rookies walked in. They were familiar. One was a girl with black hair and Asian features and the other a boy with a mop of blonde hair – oh, I knew that one. Armin… was it? And the girl was the one who was overprotective of Eren.

"The two of you joined me on one of my missions right?" I looked at them. "What is your name?" I pointed my gaze at the girl.

"Mikasa Ackerman, sir." Polite kid. She was confident in her skin. Not a trace of fear was evident in her obsidian eyes.

"I-I'm Armin Arlert. Sir." The boy stammered.

"I know. I actually have an eidetic[1] memory despite popular belief," I drawled. "So, you want to know where Eren is, right?" I rested my chin on my hands.

Mikasa and Armin straightened.

"Let's just say he's taking a pleasant nap 30 meters[2] below where we are now." My smile widened, albeit slightly sinisterly.

"30 meters… that's the prison!" Armin cried. This kid wasn't as dumb as he seemed.

A dark shadow crossed Mikasa's elegant features. "Why is he there?" She managed to get out. "The last time I saw him, he was heading to _your_ office."

She narrowed her eyes. "_What did you do?"_

"Nothing much." I leaned back in my seat.

"'_Nothing much'_ would not land him in a prison cell!" Mikasa shrieked.

"Is that how you speak to your superior?" I pinned her with a death glare. "And what's got your panties in such a twist anyway?"

"Don't tell me you have the hots for that Eren kid," I mocked.

Mikasa maintained a straight face, but her cheeks instantaneously flushed a furious pink.

"Really?" I was marginally surprised. "Well you won't be seeing him again any time soon."

"What do you mean by that?" Armin asked, fear blatantly written on his face.

"What do you think it means? I'm not obligated to tell you a single thing. All you need to know is that he's alive and under my care. Period."

Mikasa's fists clenched and unclenched. She was pissed.

"Mi-Mikasa… let's just leave it at that for now, okay? There's nothing we can do. I'm sure Eren will be just fine!" Armin coaxed, somewhat wary of the currently volatile girl. He looked at me. "We trust that Eren will be well taken care of. We'll be taking our leave now, _capo_ Levi."

Was that a threat?

_Armin_ was threatening me? Boy, oh boy, things were getting interesting.

Suddenly, Hanji came bursting in through the door. "Le~vi~," she sang. "Erwin wants to see you."

"For what reason?"

"I told Erwin about what happened, and he's pissed. So he wants to see you, like, now." Hanji grinned at me.

My eye twitched.

[EREN]

The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. I was finally able to sit up, my back resting against cold, rusted bars. Groggy, my mind was still a mess, my thoughts incoherent as though smothered by a fog.

The sound of footsteps ceased. There was a pair of leather shoes in front of my cell. I looked up.

Shit.

"I hope you've been enjoying yourself," _capo_ Levi drawled.

"Yeah, I totally am," I bit out.

"Testy, aren't we," he raised an eyebrow. "Well, lucky for you, I'm here to get you out."

"And I can trust you because…?"

"Don't question me." _Capo_ Levi glared at me.

_Capo_ Levi unhooked a bunch of keys from his belt loop, the keys jangling as he unlocked the door of my cell. "Get out."

I didn't move a muscle. _Capo_ Levi scowled. He strode in and grabbed me roughly by the collar.

"When I tell you to do something, you do it." His voice was laced with venom, but I wasn't in the mood for any of his crap.

I shoved past him. "Yeah, yeah whatever." My speech was slurred. I knew he would kill me for this, but right now in my current state of mind, I really didn't give a fuck what the rest of the world thought of me.

_Capo _Levi narrowed his eyes at me. He clenched and unclenched his fists, as though trying to decide whether he was going to teach me a lesson or not. But his hands relaxed, albeit forcibly, and he simply stormed out of the cell with me lumbering on behind him as if I was in a drunken stupor. My head was really out of whack. I felt as though I were stuck in some mental limbo.

_Capo_ Levi flung the door to Erwin's office open and shoved me in.

"There. You happy now?" _Capo_ Levi glowered. A tall, well-built, blonde-haired man sat behind the luxurious mahogany desk. He had wide shoulders and his thick arms strained against the crisp shirt material. His eyes shone brightly with cunning and intelligence, and I instantly knew to be wary of this man.

"Greetings, young one. I believe this is the first time we've met. My name's Erwin, Erwin Smith." He beamed at me.

"U-um… hi…" I sputtered. His cheerful tone threw me off completely. What was with this guy? It was like he was radiating light or something. "I'm Eren Jäger." Wait. Hold up. _Erwin Smith?_ Wasn't that the name of the underboss of this family? Then this man before me was…

"Yes, I know." He smiled. "Do you have any idea why you're here?"

"Because _capo_ Levi dragged me here…?" A bespectacled woman standing next to c_apo bastone_ Erwin barked out a laugh. I could practically feel the animosity emanating from _capo _Levi. I did not want to see the look on his face.

"Nicely said, Jäger," c_apo bastone_ Erwin began, "but there is another reason."

I cocked my head to the side. My brain was still whacked out remember?

"You have been assigned to carry out a heist with our dearest Levi over there."

"Okay… wait, WHAT?"

~ψ~

[EREN]

I really _really_ hoped that this was all just a bad dream.

The woman who was next to _capo bastone_ Erwin – _capo_ Hanji, I later found out – grinned at me. I sighed. If only it were a dream.

"Oh, God," I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Are you serious?" I threw a glance at him.

Yep, he was not kidding.

I groaned. "I find this a huge honour. I really do. And I'm usually not one to turn down a challenge, but..." I trailed off. I actually really wanted to do this. But it just _had_ to be with _capo _Levi. Heavens above.

"This isn't a job offer, it's an assignment. You're doing it whether you like it or not," _capo bastone_ Erwin said.

"Ooh, someone's getting serious," _capo _Hanji crooned. She directed her gaze at me. "Come on, Eren. Just do it. Levi isn't that bad."

"Shut up, you turd." _Capo _Levi shot back.

"Except for his lovely language." _Capo _Hanji noted. "Feeling the love, Levi. Feeling the love."

_Capo bastone _Erwin coughed. "Whatever it is, we will be attaching you to Levi for this assignment."

"Therefore, Levi will be training you from tomorrow onwards," _capo _Hanji finished. She had this huge grin on her face, and frankly, it was creeping me out.

_Capo_ Levi pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on. "Training starts at 6, Jäger. I'll be at the quad." His tone seemed to scream the disdain he felt for this arrangement, but I didn't give two shits about his opinion.

"Wait, training?!"

* * *

[1] Eidetic – relating to or denoting mental images having unusual vividness and detail, as if actually visible (I truly never knew this word existed until my friend told me about it.)

[2] 30 meters is equivalent to about 98 feet.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello everyone! So I'm back with chapter 4! I hope the wait wasn't too long I apologise that this chapter is so short, but I can promise you that the next chapter will be out in a week (latest)! Though from how it's looking right now, it's probably going to be another short one again... and even shorter than this one. I sincerely apologise m(_ _)m Well, I still hope that y'all enjoy the read! 次の章を楽しみしてね！(Tn: Look forward to the next chapter!)

I forgot to add in to my notes previously but I'd like to thank my friend zxrycyan ( u/4524522/zxrycyan) for taking the time to edit my work! ありがとうございました！

Oh, and please do leave a review after you finish reading the chapter! I would very much like to know what you all think of the story so far! Thank you!~

* * *

[LEVI]

I tapped my foot and folded my arms.

Tch. The brat was late.

[EREN]

Shit. I was running late. And _capo_ Levi had _specifically_ instructed me _not_ to be late – albeit in a rather rude manner.

"I'm so screwed," I muttered under my breath.

I looked ahead; the quadrangle was in view. I pumped my legs and sped up, pointedly avoiding _capo_ Levi's glare.

"_Capo_ Levi–" I began.

"You're late," _capo_ Levi cut in curtly.

"Look, I can explain-"

"Don't think you'll go unpunished," he interrupted. He narrowed his eyes. "First training session and already I'm finding fault with your punctuality of all things."

Well, early in the morning and already I have you chewing me out. Whoop-de-doo.

"Run eight rounds round the compound and I'll figure out what you need to do next," _capo_ Levi decided. "And don't think you can slack off just because I won't be able to see you most of the time. Your timing will tell." He frowned.

"What?" I spluttered. Eight rounds? Round this fucking humongous compound?

"You heard me; now move your ass." _Capo_ Levi glowered.

I growled my displeasure but began jogging anyway. "Quicken the pace!" _Capo_ Levi yelled, his arms folded and his expression conveying his disapproval a tad too perfectly.

As I did my rounds, I noticed that this place wasn't as dreary as it first seemed. A gargantuan mansion sat comfortably in the middle of the massive compound and an assortment of trees dotted the soft, green carpet grass that blanketed the land. The stables stood a good ten meters from the main building, and a neat driveway led in from the ornamental front gates to the heavy double doors of the mansion. The place was lush with foliage; the front gates were covered in sprawling vines of morning glory and the compound was full of flora as far as the eye could see. The chirping of birds could be heard day in and out – this truly was a pleasant place to live in if you looked at it objectively. It was more like a retreat now that I thought about it, rather than the headquarters of a notorious mafia family. It was the perfect camouflage.

I had great expectations coming to this place. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been excited, but at the same time a part of me had dreaded joining up with the mafia. My heart felt heavy the day I took the "test" to be accepted into the family. I had wanted it but at the same time I hadn't. A war had been raging within me.

But here I was now.

"Could be worse," _capo_ Levi commented as he looked at my timing. "It seems stamina isn't much of a problem for you then."

"Well, I grew up on a farm and I had to work throughout the day so I guess it's a given," I responded absentmindedly. I was more focused on the fact that it had already been quite some time and _capo_ Levi hadn't actually insulted me yet. That was a feat in itself.

He raised his eyebrow in that annoyingly elegant way of his. "Uh-huh. Explains the tan then."

So he actually looked at the people around him. Heh.

"We're heading to the gym – I want to test your muscle strength now," _capo_ Levi said. "So move your ass or I'll move it for you," he added in irritation when he saw me still standing there.

I didn't have to be told twice – I immediately made a move for the gymnasium (as if I knew where it was), internally cussing at _capo_ Levi and his goddamned attitude as I reluctantly followed him to the gym (I didn't even know we had one… well, why would I?).

~ψ~

I exhaled in exhaustion as I fell backwards onto my bed. I was dead beat. Period.

Mikasa rushed over instantly. Cupping my face, her dark pupils roved over my countenance, inspecting me for any wound or bruise, wearing a worried look all the while. "Are you okay? Do you feel alright?"

"I'm fine," I gently pried her fingers off me. "Just tired, is all. _Capo_ Levi was one hell of a slave driver."

This only caused the furrow between Mikasa's brows to become more creased. "If he's making you suffer-"

"_I'm fine_," I reiterated in exasperation.

Mikasa still didn't seem convinced. "It's only your first training session… he's pushing you too hard. I don't know why but I just don't like him."

"Nobody likes _capo_ Levi," I stated matter-of-factly. "He's a dick."

"Well, that's true." Mikasa laughed softly. My eyes widened a fraction. It had been a long time since I'd last heard that gentle laughter. "Just don't overwork yourself, okay?"

"Says the person who already has a six-pack," I scoffed.

"Eren-"

Just then, a loud yawn interrupted our conversation, and I didn't even need to look to know whom that offending yawn had come from.

Jean smirked. "You look like shit, Eren."

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes at him.

Suddenly noticing Mikasa, Jean instantly turned to her. "H-Hey, Mikasa! It's nice to see ya. How has your day been?" He was totally hitting on her, that little asswipe. Blushing like the idiotic love-struck schoolboy (or schoolgirl, hmm…) he was, I was barely restraining myself from socking him in the gut.

"Quite fine, thank you. It's truly rejuvenating to be out of your presence," Mikasa replied monotonously.

I couldn't help it – I burst into laughter. Mikasa, hats off to you.

Jean visibly wilted, but still managed a furious "shut up" at me before he stormed out of the room, thoroughly stripped of his pride.

~ψ~

[LEVI]

"So, how was training with our dear Eren? How would you grade him?" Hanji grinned.

"Why are you always in my office?" I asked in response.

"It's cozy in here. I'm a human that requires company for survival." Hanji stated in a serious tone. "And you haven't answered my question."

"Go somewhere else. I'm sure Erwin would be pleased to have you." I waved her away.

"But you're far cuter. Erwin has this 'too-cool-for-you' air about him, as nice as he is," Hanji whined.

"I'm not cute," I grumbled.

"Aww you're grumbling; that's so cute!" Hanji squealed.

"Go away, you're disgusting," I growled. "I'm trying to work here and your mere existence is hindering me."

"Ouch." Hanji faked a pained look. "But come on, tell me, how was he?" Hanji asked cheekily. "I managed to spot him a couple of times when I was taking a breather and looking out the window but I couldn't see much from where I was."

"Can you please leave my office?" I asked coldly.

"Not in a million years!" Hanji cackled. "Well, except for when I need to check on my culture dishes. And you still haven't answered my question!"

~ψ~

[EREN]

"Uwaaa! There's baked potato today!" Sasha was already drooling. "I'M IN HEAVEN!" She declared.

"Pipe down, would you?" Ymir scowled.

Everyone was energetic as usual, and we all chatted with occasional harmless banter as we hunkered down for a good dinner.

"Where's Armin?" I asked Mikasa between mouthfuls of potato.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since breakfast today. I thought you knew where he was," Mikasa replied. "And please don't talk with food in your mouth."

"Argh, who cares about that? More importantly – where the hell is Armin?"

"Ah, sorry I'm so late!" As if on cue, Armin came rushing towards our table. He bent over as he got to us, panting and trying to catch his breath.

"Armin! Where were you?" I asked immediately.

"Um, just, running a few errands. Don't look so worried!" Armin smiled.

"How could I not be-"

"What do you mean by 'errands', Armin?" Mikasa cut in. "Is _capo_ Levi making you do unreasonable things again?" Her gaze was cold, hard – sharp as flint.

"Nothing of the sort!" Armin immediately responded, his hands waving his denial.

"Then what is it?" Mikasa pressed, her eyes narrowed.

"Um…"

"Come on, Armin. Quit stammering and answer my question." Mikasa refused to budge.

"H-hey. Cut him some slack, will ya?" Connie defended.

"Don't interrupt us. I'm talking to Armin here." Mikasa remained calm, detached, and, at the same time, intimidating. You definitely wanted to stay in her good books. I still remember the time I stole her cookie. She forcefully interrogated every kid in town until I finally confessed, and even then she still punished me for an entire week because of that. She was only six.

"H-have it your way," Connie sulked.

"Armin," Mikasa repeated.

"I-I'm not allowed to tell anyone about it!" Armin finally blurted out. "But I swear it's not _capo_ Levi this time, and I'm not being made to do anything outrageous. I swear!" Armin was distressed, and anxiety rolled off him in waves.

"This little brat," I muttered under my breath. He was definitely hiding something big.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys!

So chapter 5 is here as promised! It's really short though. Veritably so. Well, I still hope it'll be a chapter y'all can curl up to with a nice hot cup of cocoa. Chapter 6 will be taking it's time to arrive, but it will most definitely be waaaaay longer so don't you worry. ;) I can't keep slacking and writing super short chapters all the time. xD

Enjoy!

* * *

[ARMIN]

"I've got the route planned out, _capo bastone_ Erwin," I said as I passed the relevant documents to him.

"Excellent. Then all will proceed as planned," _capo bastone_ Erwin replied, the corner of his lips lifting just slightly in satisfaction.

Erwin Smith: skilled and talented, he rose in rank rapidly and became the _capo bastone _of this family in a mere five years. Rumour had it he had already begun mingling with the mafia in his teens, and had only joined a family – this family – years later. His competence and aptitude was peerless. Erwin Smith was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.

"Your skills have been most helpful, Armin. They will definitely continue to prove themselves beneficial to this family." _Capo_ _bastone_ Erwin smiled as he looked over the plans and routes I had devised and noted down.

There was something about _capo bastone_ Erwin that had never sat quite right with me, and even though he smiled so often and easily, they never seemed to come from genuine happiness.

"May I ask a question, _capo bastone_ Erwin?"

"Go ahead."

"Who is going to be taking part in this mission?"

"It isn't necessary for you to know about the executors of the plan," _capo bastone_ Erwin injected smoothly. "That's it for now. You may excuse yourself, Armin." There it was again – that smile. It felt eerie and sinister beneath its external radiance.

It made me wary.

~ψ~

[EREN]

"It's finally going to happen… tomorrow's the day, huh?" I muttered to myself, my arm resting lazily over my closed eyes.

When the others had found out I was training with _capo_ Levi, they all started approaching me, wanting to know why I was being given "special treatment", as they called it. Yeah, I wish.

I was instructed not to reveal my going out on a job to anyone for discretion's sake. To my great fortune, Mikasa noticed my discomfort and was sharp enough to tell that I couldn't exactly explain the reason for the training. She skilfully helped me worm out of the way of the group's scrutiny, saving my skin for the billionth time in my short lifetime. Otherwise I'd probably just end up in a brawl to get them all to shut up. Mikasa had always been good – too good – at withholding information, and while I downright hated when she did that to me, that time, I couldn't help but be grateful that she had such a forte.

Later on though, Mikasa still beat it out of me, and till now she's the only one that knew about it. Even Armin wasn't aware of this mission.

The training had been tough, but it had definitely worked. Even though _capo_ Levi was a complete ass, he was an exemplary coach, and his expertise undeniably shone through, not that I'd ever admit that. The fruits of my labour (and his) were evident as I felt training become easier for me day by day.

"Eren…" Mikasa wandered over from her bunk. "I just want you to know…" She bit her lip. "Be careful out there. I expect to see you back in pristine condition, you hear?"

"I'll be fine." My eyes softened as I raised my hand to pat her gently on the head. "And yes, I hear you, ma'am." Mikasa was like a sister to me. We grew up together along with Armin, and the three of us had stuck together since we were children. They were the siblings I never had.

"It's late. We need sleep – you and I both. Don't worry, I'll be fine!" A smile was plastered on my face. Probably noticing but deciding not to press it, Mikasa sighed and treaded lightly back to her bunk.

"Good night, Eren."

"Good night, Mikasa."

~ψ~

[LEVI]

The nightmares invaded my slumber again.

It was the night before our mission, our assignment. Because I had an episode not too long ago, I let my guard down, thinking I'd be left alone. I had never been more wrong.

The memories refused to let go of me, and with the mission drawing near, there was no way they were going to let me off the hook. It had been an eon since I had last worked with partners; subordinates, on a mission, and there was no way my conscience was going to let me forget the last time I had.

_Screams. Shrill and piercing. The screams of my comrades.  
__"__Come! Come at me!" I roared as I hacked at the enemies. My mind was blank; I couldn't think straight. Only one thought rang true, and all I knew was _killkillkillkillkill_. I fought with all I had, and yet there was nothing I could do but watch helplessly, still locked in battle, as my comrades, my _friends_, fell prey to the enemies' hands.  
__"__No, no, no, stay away! STAY BACK!" She screamed. The knife trembled in her hands as the enemy advanced. "I-if you come near me, I'll k-kill you!"  
__"__I'd like to see you try." The enemy grinned.  
__Her eyes widened instantaneously. Gripped by fear, she was easily knocked back, her weapon sent spinning out of her hands. Her lips quivered in terror.  
__"__Le… LEVI!"  
__I turned around, but it was too late.  
__"__PETRA!"_

I jerked up in bed, my body drenched in sweat. My eyes flew wide open in shock as I panted heavily, my heart hammering in trepidation. My clothes clung to my skin and my hair lay plastered across my forehead. The sheets were bunched up in my hands, and the pillow was soaked with my perspiration.

I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down, trying to slow the pounding of my heart. No matter how hard I tried to forget, the memories just kept coming back again and again and _again_. But how could I possibly forget them? I didn't deserve to forget. I didn't deserve such mercy. It was my way of atonement – the _only_ way of atonement.

That day, I had made a vow, and it was a vow I intended to keep. Tomorrow, Eren would be coming back alive no matter what – even if that meant I wouldn't be.


End file.
